Life as I know it

Changes

I’ve never really had much of a goal in life. I have never really followed any particular dream, other than to avoid stress and enjoy myself. I never really wanted to be rich; not enough to suffer doing something that put me under a lot of pressure. I’m a hard worker, but I have always lacked the direction to achieve anything really great. I envy those children who grow up with a clear and achievable goal, and work and study their way there. I was quite good at a lot of things at school, but my abilities and interests were always too broad for me to see a clear path that I should take. All the major steps in my life have been determined by what seems like a logical progression from the last thing I did, rather than as a stepping stone to any particular destination.

I feel that I have been quite lucky in many ways. I expect to have paid off my mortagage in about 3 years time, and then I can start to focus on gathering reserves for the future, rather than paying off the needs of the present. I have decided that I want to go in to business for myself, but first I need capital. I have no intention of going to a bank for that money. Once I have paid off the mortgage I intend to never ever be a debtor to anyone ever again. I would like to either buy a retail franchise or set up my own retail venture. Having worked in retail management for nearly 20 years, I am confident in my ability to make this work. I would like to make profits for myself rather than my employer. I enjoy my current job, but I won’t be happy with myself if I am still working as an employed retail manager in 10 years time.

Right now I am totally focused on building up the roots from which a future can grow, for my family and my daughter’s future. Our dated bathroom with the cracked bath panel can stay as it is for a few more years. Our kitchen’s blown work surface can be tolerated a few more years. My family has two old cars; one is 15 years old and the other 17 years old. Those cars can limp along as long as they are doing the job. What I want is to have capital. I am now chasing real money, not the appearance of money. I feel that I am approaching the brow of a watershed in life. I just need a few more years in the same role, and then I will be in a position to carve out a new role. I work in a crappy old industrial building, that is literally falling apart, and has recently been purchased by a home-building property developer. This is a very tense time for me. I am on the cusp of really getting the drop on life, but I need things to stay as they are just for a few more years!